There’s a storm brewing in Berkshire, and it goes by the name Black Prussia. After years of quiet groundwork and a recent reformation, the high-voltage rock outfit are crashing onto the scene with their ferocious debut single ‘Animal’. Packed with distortion, swagger, and untamed energy, ‘Animal’ is a statement of intent from a band determined to shake things up.
Originally formed in 2017 and reborn in 2023, Black Prussia is fronted by Tanaka Mapepa and driven by the searing guitar work of Winston Alla. Their sound fuses the brute force of alternative rock with punk urgency and melodic flair, think the rawness of early Queens of the Stone Age with the vitality of Royal Blood. It’s music made for dark venues, clenched fists, and amps turned to eleven.
We caught up with Black Prussia as they unleash their debut, to talk about their evolution and what it means to finally make noise after years in the shadows.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
Tanaka started as a rapper before transitioning into punk and hard rock. Winston began playing guitar in the Philippines as a child and continued when he moved to the UK. We went to the same but were 2 years apart, and hung out with different social groups. Tanaka was creating Black Prussia from the remnants of an earlier group and was connected to Winston via a mutual friend to form Black Prussia.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
Our biggest influences are AC/DC, Danzig and Motorhead; the bone crunching riffs and loud guitars still fill us with Euphoria. From a playing style Guitarists such as Slash, Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen influenced Winston’s playing style.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
I don’t think there is one moment that shaped us going into music, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. The longer we were away from music, the more we wanted to jump back in and that definitely fuelled our drive to not straw away. Winston was first inspired to become a musician after hearing Slash guitar solo on sweet child of mine.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
Songs are typically written by Tanaka who assembles in his head a chorus riff and lyrics, then builds the rest of the song out from there. The musical parts and arrangements are then sorted by Winston who has to put the ideas into reality.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
Typically we let songs write themselves. There can be instances where we write several songs in a day or a week, or several weeks without a song being written. What is important is to not rush or panic as another song will come soon, just unplug and you will hear what needs to be made.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
We hope they are able to think that they should think for themselves and try to do what is best for them. In this current time there’s a lot of information going at people 100 mph, people should be their own individuals and not be easily swayed in any direction.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
Balancing life whilst trying to build your music career is the key challenge. The cost of living and the cost of being a musician are both at an all time high. So being clever and not buying a flashy new guitar set before you’ve bought your groceries. Also making sure the right amount of time is allocated to projects so nothing is hard hearted but ensuring things actually get completed in a decent time frame to a high standard.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
So far it has been the acknowledgement of people recognising our hard work and appreciating our art. We only hope to push this to a wider audience and show what else we have under our sleeve.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
It’s about being an individual if you follow trends and hype trains you will end with them. Any musical evolution must be done organically, stay grounded and don’t sacrifice long term success for short term gratification.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
We hope to release music consistently going forward and have plans for live shows throughout 2026. With a couple of new songs to finish in 2025 as well.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
5 years is a long time but we hope to have amassed a great body of work in that time, as it can go very quickly. We would hope to have established ourselves as a piece of furniture in the UK scene and beyond and have songs the next generation of rockers can build on.
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Listen to Black Prussia’s debut single ‘Animal’ below.
